She's Still Alive, but She's Barely Breathing
by AnimeRoxx
Summary: When the gunshot rang out, time stopped for Daryl. His light, his glimmer of sunshine, his Beth, gone. She died right in front of him. But, what if she wasn't dead? Bethyl. Codafix. (T for some swear words; Slow updates)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** **: Hey guys! I just love Bethyl so much, and I am still upset about her death in the Season 5 Midseason Finale. I know, it was so long ago, but she's my favorite character! And I wanted her and Daryl together so bad. So here is my attempt at Beth surviving the gunshot wound to the head!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own The Walking Dead, or anything related to it. Nor do I own the song that the title is based off of.**

 _She's Still Alive, but She's Barely Breathing_

 _~Bethyl~_

 _When you care about people, hurt is kinda part of the package._

 _You gotta stay who you are, not who you were._

 _I know you look at me and see another dead girl._

 _Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith._

 _There's still good people, Daryl._

 _I'm not Michonne, I'm not Carol, I'm not Maggie. I survived, and you don't get it because I'm not like you or them. But I made it._

 _You're going to miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon._

Her body crashed onto the floor. The sound was enough to set me into action. I didn't even think about it before my gun was aimed straight at Dawn's head. I pulled the trigger before a word came out of her mouth. As Dawn's head whipped back from the force of the bullet, Rick and the others readied their weapons. The men in uniforms called for a halt, but I ignored them and stared at the body on the floor. Red liquid continued to seep out of the hole on the back of the left side of her head.

I made my way towards her fallen body feeling the gaze of the others on me. But I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore. I dropped to my knees and cradled her upper body to my chest and did something that I haven't done in years. I cried. Broke down was more accurate. My body shook with the force of my sobs, and I squeezed her lifeless body to my chest and buried my face in her golden hair. _She can't just be gone. Not when I just got her back._

And that's when I felt it. The unmistakable feeling of blood running through her veins. _She has a pulse!_

My head snapped up at the people of Grady searching. _This is a damn hospital so there is bound to be a doctor_. In less than a second, my eyes landed on a man in a doctor's jacket near the back of the group.

"She has a pulse!" I growled out and headed towards the presumed doctor with Beth in my arms. "You better God damn heal her, or I'm killin' every last one of ya."

The doctor, Dr. Edwards his name tag read, cringed back, but immediately went into action. He quickly called for a stretcher and for some people to get a room prepped for surgery. I paid them no mind and hugged Beth close one last time before letting her go in the hands of these strangers.

I paced the length of the hall furiously while Rick and the gang went outside. Before Rick left, he asked, "You alright?"

I could only nod and continue my pacing.

Not much later, a hysterical Maggie came running into the hall. She demanded one of the officers to tell her which room her sister was in, but they wouldn't let anyone in there. So she sat in one of the chairs right outside the door, and I continued my pacing.

 _What was she thinking? A pair of scissors? In the shoulder? Just when I got her back, she gets taken from me again. I won't let anything happen to her again. Not on my watch. Though, this whole thing happened because of me. Because I didn't check before I opened the door for that damn dog._ I sighed. _This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Beth._

I couldn't take the pacing anymore. And there weren't any woods nearby to go hunting so I could clear my head. So I dropped into one of the unoccupied seats on the opposite side of the room. Our family was all gathered around Maggie, who still was in hysterics. I didn't want attention on me, but I could feel the concerned gazes directed my way. I rested my head in my hands and sent a silent prayer to something I don't even believe in. But Beth did, and if she did, then I will beg on my hands and knees for forgiveness, if it would save her.

Hours later, I was woken by the sound of the creaking operating room door. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. I jumped up and asked, "How is she?" It was more of a demand.

I must have spoken it louder than I thought because I woke up everyone else who had fallen asleep waiting on the results. They all jumped up and surrounded the doctor.

"She is stable. We induced a coma to help her brain heal. Damage was only done to the left hemisphere of her brain. When she comes too, we will have to run some tests to see if there is any problems. The most likely problems we are going to encounter are: muscle weakness on her right side, loss of coordination, problems with understanding speech and talking, muscle pains, poor memory, lack of concentration, slowed thinking, problems with perception, reduced attention, depression, irritability, low motivation, and poor emotional control. We are lucky it only went through one hemisphere of her brain and didn't ricochet off of her skull. This greatly increased her chance of survival." We all let out a breath. "But, she won't wake up until tomorrow evening at the earliest. We made sure to give her a lot of sedatives to ensure that she didn't come to during the procedure."

"Can we see her?" Maggie asked.

The doctor nodded his head. Without any more acknowledgement to the doctor, I followed Maggie straight into the room. She started sobbing seeing Beth attached to all those machines. The steady beeping of the heart monitor calmed my nerves. _She's okay. She's going to be okay_.

~~Bethyl~~

Everything hurts. I can't move. All I can see is blackness. _What's happening?_

I don't know how I got here, wherever here is. I don't even remember my name. The only thing that comes to me is an image of a tough looking brunette with a crossbow. _Who's he?_ Images of him teaching me how to use his crossbow, us burning down a cabin, me hugging him from behind, all ran through my head leaving me with a feeling of security. _I know him?._ And then pain. Such an intense pain in my jaw and the back of my head.

Again the question: _Where am I?_

I can faintly hear a beeping noise, which made my headache feel even worse. I tried to move my hand to my forehead to soothe it, but then I remembered I couldn't move. _I wish the pain would just leave…_

The sound of someone crying confused me. As far as I knew, I was alone in this darkness. The sound got louder as if it was right next to my ear. "Oh, Bethy…" it sobbed.

 _Bethy? Is that me?_

The voice continued, and I felt a warmth on my hand. "Fight hard Bethy. I love you. You can do this." The pressure on my hand strengthened.

Then another voice chimed in, "Stay strong, girl."

 _Daryl._ The name came to me, and I recognized this voice. More images flooded my head, but this time with sounds.

 _Faith ain't done shit for us._

 _I ain't going to have your first drink be no damn Peach Schnapps_

 _Yea, it's a serious piggyback._

The pain came back full force. But I did as they asked. I didn't let this fog push me under. I concentrated on their quiet voices and the sounds of their breathing.

And I fought.

~~Bethyl~~

The next morning, Rick came in to see how she was doing. I stayed up all night with her, despite the doctor saying that she was not going to wake up until the next evening. Maggie had fallen asleep about an hour after they let us come into the room.

"You wanna come eat? They are giving us food in return for what…what Dawn did." Rick's jaw clenched near the end of his sentence.

I shook my head in response. There was no way I was going to leave Beth again, even if it were just for a minute to go eat. Rick sighed but turned and walked out the door. Not a minute later, Glenn walked in and woke Maggie.

"Is she awake?" Maggie immediately asked as she was pulled out of her slumber. "Oh…"

"They have food waiting. Do you want anything?" he offered.

She nodded and followed him out of the room. _She first doesn't believe me that she is alive. And now she doesn't stay by her side while she is here? What kind of sister is she?_ I shrugged it off. No time to worry about her when Beth is still out. Though according to the clock on the wall, it was still only 11am, so she shouldn't wake up for a few hours.

Since we were alone, I grabbed her left hand and sighed. "I know you're strong, Beth. I know you'll pull through this."

And I swore she squeezed my hand back.

"Can ya hear me, Beth?" I asked and held my breath. Another squeeze, this one stronger than the first. "Oh thank God."

I stared intently at her face and could see subtle hints of her alertness. Her eyes were moving under her eyelids. Her jaw was twitching, as if she were trying to talk. And her breathing patterns changed. I squeezed her hand tightly. The clock read 11:30am when her eyes started fluttering. And then slowly, her eyes opened, and her beautiful blue eyes were staring directly into mine.

~~Bethyl~~

Slowly, the fog started clearing. I started to feel more aware. I felt a breeze. There must be a window open. The beeping in the background got louder. I could hear two people breathing on either side of me, and I hoped to God that one of them was Daryl. He's the only one I can actually somewhat remember.

I tried to move my arms again, but like last night, they didn't budge. This frustrated me to no end. I heard a door open, and someone offered food, but left shortly after. I didn't hear anyone follow, so I assume they declined the offer.

The door opened again, and a quiet voice spoke. Too quiet for me to pick up. But immediately following, I heard a girl ask if I was awake. _Yes!_ I wanted to scream. But of course, my mouth and vocal cords disobeyed me. This time, two sets of footsteps left out the door.

Suddenly, my left hand felt warm. The heat spread throughout my body. _Daryl_. I pushed harder and focused all of my strength into my fingers. And they moved, just barely. His breath faltered, and then I heard his rough voice.

"Can ya hear me, Beth?" _Yes._ But my voice box still refused. So instead, I focused again on squeezing his hand. My muscles obeyed me this time, and I squeezed his hand with as much strength as I could muster. "Oh thank God."

I tried to speak, to ask him what happened. To ask him anything, really, because all I can remember is him. And that's just images and snippets of conversations between us. I tried desperately to open my eyes. Nothing seemed to be responding to my internal commands. Finally the fog lifted, and my eyes opened and landed on the face of Daryl.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Panic flashed through me, and I clutched his hand like a lifeline. He seemed to understand.

"Shh, it's okay, girl. Side effect of..." he cut himself off and scowled. "I ain't goin' nowhere." He assured and squeezed my hand back. And that's when the door opened again.

~~Bethyl~~

I looked at the door, and Maggie was standing there with a look of shock on her face. Quickly it was replaced with relief, and she sprinted to Beth's right side.

"Bethy!" She cried and went to pull her into a hug.

Beth let out a whimper and scooted out of her reach towards me. She looked at me with fear in her eyes and let out more whimpers.

"It's okay." I said lamely trying to comfort her.

"Beth…?" Maggie questioned and reached for her again and grabbed her arm.

This time, Beth let out a screech and pushed her away. She then pulled my hand, which was still holding her left one, to her chest and clung to it like a lifeline. Her eyes darted from me to Maggie, and I got the silent message. _Help me._

"Beth, it's okay. That's yer sister." I tried to assure her.

Maggie looked like she was about to start crying. She tried one more time to come closer to Beth. She looked at me again with fear, and I nodded to her letting her know everything would be okay. She looked back at Maggie, still scared but allowing her to come close to her.

"You don't…You don't remember me?" Maggie asked.

Beth shook her head from side to side. Then released my hand and brought both of hers to the sides of her head. Her face showed how much pain she was in, and I was immediately at the door shouting for the doctor.

He hurried in, followed by three girls, each with their own clipboard. I went back to Beth's side, and her eyes pleaded with me to stay.

"I ain't leavin' ya, girl." I assured her. "They're doctors. They are gonna make the pain stop."

Beth nodded, and the doctors got to work.

Everyone was gathered in the hall right outside of Beth's room. All the tests were finished, and she was now resting. Dr. Edwards started his medical summary.

"Okay. Well, she is experiencing muscle pains. Completely normal considering the circumstances. We have also determined that she has suffered from memory loss. She doesn't seem to remember much of anything. She did recognize Daryl, but she couldn't express through words what she remembers. This is due to the path of the bullet. Her vocal cords have received extensive damage. It will take months of recovery before she will be able to form complete sentences again, assuming that they heal properly within these months. Her emotions were also all over the place. She would go from being calm while we assessed her, to crying hysterically, frantically looking around as if in a panic, and trying to push us away. Daryl was able to calm her back down during these episodes. She knows Daryl, whether it's just from instinct from her subconscious or if she still has some memories of you." He paused and looked at me. "So, I recommend that you stay close to her, Daryl, until she regains more memories or begins to trust the rest of you all again. Other than that, her entrance and exit wounds from the bullet are healing fine. The stitches will be able to come out in a week. Until then, the wounds need to be cleaned and bandage changed every 6 hours."

Rick nodded showing that we all understood. I stared through the glass window of her door at her sleeping form. _She looks so peaceful._ I headed back through her door while everyone else went to get snacks. Rick promised to bring me something to eat since I haven't eaten in almost twenty-four hours. I nodded to him, and he left me alone with Beth.

I sat back in the chair on her left side and grabbed her hand again. _She made it._

The next few days passed in a blur. I rarely moved from Beth's side, even though for the most part, they kept her asleep. They said it would help her brain heal itself faster if she stayed asleep and relaxed. Rick brought me food twice a day, and he always lingered in the doorway before heading back to the others. Maggie came in every night and talked to Beth's sleeping body to let her know of how everyone is and what was going on. Every day, the same routine.

Finally, the day came to take out Beth's stitches. The nurse carefully removed them, cleaned it, and bandaged her up once more. Before she left, she took out the IV drip that was used to keep her sedated.

"Alright, when she wakes up, you guys are free to leave." The nurse informed, then left.

I grabbed Beth's hand and stared at her peaceful face. _Thank you. Maybe you are real..._

~Bethyl~

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that my hand was cold. I snapped my eyes opened and looked towards where Daryl was supposed to be, thinking that he left.

But he hadn't. He was leaning back in the chair, his head lolled to his right, while his right arm was outstretched, and hand resting just inches from my own. _Thank God, he didn't leave._

I reached out to him and touched his arm. He jerked awake and snapped his head up, eyes darting from left to right before settling on me. "Oh, I fell asleep."

I just smiled at him and grabbed his hand.

"The others are packing up our stuff. We are going to be leaving soon." He informed me.

 _Finally, I'm getting out of here._ I sighed with relief. "D—" I tried saying his name, but it was unrecognizable.

"Shh, don't try to talk." He grabbed my hand. "Your vocal cords…they were damaged." He grumbled. "The bullet…"

He didn't finish, but I didn't need him to. I could feel the pain and put two and two together. I squeezed his hand.

"The doc said you'd be fine in a couple 'a months." He assured.

I nodded my head. _But hopefully with resting my voice, I will be able to speak much sooner._

A man with a scruffy beard walked in the door just then. "Hey guys. Glad to see you are up, Beth."

I didn't know him, but Daryl didn't react badly, so I assumed he was a friend. I nodded and smiled slightly.

He returned it, then looked to Daryl. "You guys ready? We just finished loading everything up into the fire truck. We were just gonna wait for Beth to be ready."

Daryl nodded and turned to me. "Think ya can walk?"

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to move. But when I got to my feet, I swayed.

"Woah, girl. I think you need a serious piggyback."

I gasped as that memory came to the forefront of my mind, then slipped away. I grinned at Daryl as he kneeled down in front of me and wrapped my arms around his neck. He quickly scooped my legs into his arms on each side of his waist.

I let out a little squeal of delight and clutched him tight as he took off out the door with the other guy looking after us with a grin.

~Bethyl~

I could feel the looks everyone gave me as I walked out into the parking lot of the hospital. Carol was confused. Maggie was irritated. Michonne was curious. Everyone else did a double take, since it is common knowledge that I don't like anyone touching me. Yet here I am, clutching Beth's legs to my sides while her arms were wrapped securely around my neck. I could still hear her laughter, now quiet from the strain on her vocal cords but still sounded like music, and her cheek was pressed against my shoulder. _Just ignore them. They don't get it._

I didn't look at anyone as I walked straight to the fire truck. I opened the door, and swung Beth around to where I was holding her bridal style. _It will be easier to set her down in a seat like this_. I tried to tell myself that that was the reason. But as Beth let out another squeal and grinned up at me with twinkling eyes, I knew what the real reason was.

 **A/N** **: Hey guys! So what did you think? Should I continue this into a short story, or keep it a one-shot? I kinda like how it is, but if you guys want it, I will expand it. Just a forewarning, if this does become a multichapter fic, the updates will be slow. I am a full-time student at a University and also work part-time.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** **: Hey guys! Thanks for the overwhelming support on this story! I haven't gotten this much support in less than 24 hours from first uploading a story. I hope I don't disappoint you all!**

 **Again, I am sorry for the slow updates. I am starting this just two days after the first chapter was uploaded, but I know it will be a long while before this actually gets uploaded. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _She's Still Alive, but She's Barely Breathing_

 _Chapter 2_

We made it to the edge of Atlanta before everything went to hell. The road was clear, not a walker in sight. But, the fire truck started smoking, so we had to stop. I stayed with Beth in the back seat while Abraham went out to check it out.

I gently shook Beth awake. Her blue eyes fluttered open lazily. She seemed to realize that we were stopped because her gaze drifted from me to the window and back again. "Truck started smokin'." I explained.

"BITCH NUTS!" I heard Abraham's yell loud and clear from the back of the truck. "Get your asses out here! We gotta move!"

Everyone snapped into action. I threw my crossbow across my chest and got Beth on my back. She wrapped her arms securely around my neck without chocking me or blocking me from using my crossbow and wrapped her legs tightly around my torso. Once everyone was outside, we could see exactly what was wrong. The smoke was attracting walkers from all over the city.

We took off into the woods on our right. I aimed my crossbow and shot, taking out one walker directly in my path. One came up directly after, only to be killed by Rick, who was staying close to my side helping me to protect Beth. I nodded at him in thanks and pulled out my bolt. No sense in wasting any.

We made it to the cover of the trees and sped up.

"Everyone, keep an eye out for somewhere to wait out the herd!" Rick called out from behind me.

My muscles were starting to tire from using my crossbow and running at full speed while carrying Beth that when she nudged me and pointed ahead, I sighed in relief.

~Bethyl~

We, well everyone but me, had been running for nearly 15 minutes through the woods when I noticed a small shack nestled behind some trees up ahead and to the left. I nudged Daryl's arm with my elbow, unhooked one hand, and pointed it out to him.

He let out a breath and called out to everyone. "Up ahead about a quarter mile, go through the trees to the left. There's a small building. Hurry!"

With a destination in mind, everyone seemed to go faster and before long, we were crammed inside the tiny room with our bodies pressed against the door.

An image flashed through my mind of me and Daryl squished together in the dark. He had his crossbow aimed through a tiny crack while I had a knife clutched in my hand. _Were we trapped before?_ I shook my head as the image faded away.

I was sitting alone in a corner of the one room building while Rick and Daryl barred the door with anything that was useful. There were only two windows, but they were tiny and about even with Daryl's head, so they weren't a problem and didn't need blocked. Everyone else was gathered around in the center of the room, all huddled together for warmth, and being extra quiet. Even the baby who looked oddly familiar. We met eyes and her mouth formed a little baby grin, then she snuggled into the big guy's arms who was holding her.

I gasped as another image filled my head, but this one was different than all the rest. It was more than just an image. It was more like a tiny clip.

 _Daryl was holding the baby, feeding her from a bottle. "You like that? Huh? Lil' Asskicker." He looked up and met my eyes with a small smile and then glanced around the room._

My eyes refocused on the present and found the baby again. Definitely her. But Lil' Asskicker can't be her actual name. I looked back towards the door and saw that Daryl was headed back towards me.

He sat down next to me on my left and asked, "How ya feelin'?" I nodded and sent him a smile, but then looked towards the baby again.

Daryl followed my gaze, and nudged my arm. I looked at him. "Rick's girl. Ya used t' take care of her. Lori, her mom, died after givin' birth." I frowned. "Her name is Judith." He quickly switched to something lighter. "You were the closest thing t' a mom she had. When som'thin bad happened, you looked for her, but couldn't find her. Tyreese, the guy holdin' her, ended up having her and kept her safe for months on the road. We just met back up with them shortly before findin' you."

I smiled and looked at her again as she slept soundly in the arms of Tyreese. _Judith. No wonder she looks so familiar. I'm glad he was there for her._

I leaned against Daryl's arm and sighed. _Even though I can barely remember anyone here, as long as Daryl's by my side, I feel safe._ And with that, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

~Bethyl~

Rick came up to me about an hour after Beth dozed off.

"How is she holding up?" he whispered.

"Fine. Need to change her bandages." I replied.

Rick nodded. "Let's just wait until she wakes back up before that. Remember, the doctor said she is going to need as much rest as she can get. And she will tire very fast for these next couple of weeks."

I just grunted in reply. As Rick walked back over and took Judith from Tyreese, I glanced down to Beth's face. She had a small smile and her eyebrows weren't lined from worry. She looked like an angel fallen from heaven, especially with the sun's rays flowing in from the window on the west. I felt my cheeks warm as those thoughts ran through my head, but I couldn't deny their truth. Beth was, simply put, beautiful. Even after being shot through the head.

Rick decided it was best if we all stay quiet well into the night so we don't draw the walkers near us. So we all laid down for an early night. Since the door was barred and there were no other entrances, no one needed to be put on watch.

Maggie glanced over at Beth with a sad frown before glancing at me and looking away quickly. _Maybe if she would have had more faith in her and actually spent more time with her, maybe Beth would remember you easier._ I was still angry at Maggie, but not as much as I was when Beth was in the hospital. _She survived a damn bullet to the brain. If that doesn't show you how tough she is and that she is a survivor…_ I shook my head and looked back at Beth. _She has too good of a heart. She's definitely going to forgive her sister, so I need to let it go too._

I took a deep breath in and out to clear my head. I leaned my head back against the wall to get some sleep for myself for this short while that we're safe.

~Bethyl~

My dream started out what I thought was normal. I was resting in a field of spring lilies and could see a small pond reflecting the sun's rays not too far away. Off to my left, a brown horse was grazing in the field. I sighed and laid back in the soft grass. _What a beautiful day!_

A gentle breeze ruffled my blue sundress as I heard approaching footsteps. I looked in the direction of the approach and saw my mother.

"Mom!" I greeted and as I jumped up to hug her.

"What are you doing all the way out here, Bethy?" She asked as she wrapped her loving arms around me.

"Oh, you know, just escaping teenage reality for a little while. Too much stress!" I laughed along with my mother. "This place always relaxes me."

"Well, come on. Supper is on the table, and you know how your father likes to have us all together for Sunday dinners." She started coughing lightly. She's been suffering from some new illness for a couple days now, ever since that weird mark on her arm appeared. A near constant fever and coughing were the only signs though, so we were hoping it would leave her system soon.

I nodded and followed beside her.

"Oh, hey, Mom-" I cut off when I didn't see her beside me anymore. "Mom?"

I looked back and in place of my mom was some rotting version of her. I took a step back from her, or it.

"Honey, it's me. What's wrong?" The creature said in my mom's voice as it stumbled towards me.

I was frozen in place. I knew I should back away. I should run and scream for help, but I was rooted to the spot. Slimy hands grabbed my shoulders, and I saw the face come closer.

"Bethy-" and then her voice quit. A weird growl came out of her throat. And I screamed.

~Bethyl~

I was jolted awake by an ear splitting scream right in my ear. Beth was writhing around and tears were running down her face.

"Beth, wake up, wake up. I's a dream." I tried to soothe her. By this point, everyone was awake and making their way over to us. Not that it was a far walk or anything.

She continued jerking around for a few more seconds before jerking upright and letting out one final scream. Her eyes darted around, taking in all the concerned faces suddenly so close to her. And her already frantic breathing became even more rapid.

I grabbed each of her cheeks and guided her face to mine. Our eyes met, and I told her, "Breathe in 'n out slowly. In," I took a deep breath in, "and out," and I exhaled.

I mimicked the motion a few times with Beth until she was breathing normally again. Once she was calmed down I wiped the tears from her eyes and repeated, "Was just'a dream. Everythin's alright."

She smiled softly at me and then flushed from embarrassment as she registered that everyone was still looking at her in concern. I swiftly picked her up and nudged my way through everyone. After stopping slightly to remove the barricade from in front of the door, I continued on my way and let the door swing shut behind me.

I settled us down on the corner of the porch, with Beth resting between my legs. She looked up at me, smiled gratefully, then buried her head into the crook of my neck. She let out a contented sigh. I smiled, tightened my grip on her small frame slightly, and promised, "No problem girl. I'll always keep ya safe."

I then released my grip on her, and said, "Now it's time t' change yer bandages."

* * *

 **A/N** **: Hey guys! Again, thank you so much for all of the support! Since you guys wanted it, I will continue this into a short story. There might not be much drama or fighting because I stink at writing those scenes, but I'll do my best.**

 **It took me forever to finish this chapter because I didn't know where I wanted to go with it, since it was originally just planned as a one-shot. I now have a general idea of what I want to do, but please be patient with me. School is starting back up soon, and 17 credit hours of college classes take a lot of work! But I will FOR SURE be continuing this!**

 **Thanks again! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** **: I'm back! Hope you all enjoy this next installment of** _ **She's Still Alive, but She's Barely Breathing**_ **!**

* * *

 _She's Still Alive, but She's Barely Breathing_

 _Chapter 3_

It has been almost a month since we left the hospital and found the tiny little shack. Daryl convinced the entire group that it would be best if we fortified this place and stocked up on food so I'd have a chance to recover some more. And honestly, I've been feeling a lot better. At least, my headaches have lessened. I was still having trouble speaking and walking for more than a few steps at a time. I could sometimes get out one syllable words, but they sounded horse and slurred.

Today, Daryl left me in care of the group so he could go hunt for some food. This is the first time he has left my side since he rescued me, but we desperately needed some more food. We only had enough rations to last us a couple more days at most.

I stayed closed off in my little corner. No one really bothered me, even though they constantly looked in my direction. Daryl warned them that I still needed some space. Truthfully, I was grateful. I was not ready to be close to anyone just yet. Or maybe I was just scared that they'd treat me like I didn't belong here.

I watched Tyreese hold baby Judith in the center of the room. He was trying to teach her how to walk. She wasn't quite getting the hang of it, though. She took one step before falling onto the ground.

Someone dropped to the ground next to me, and I tensed up. I shot my eyes to the person. The girl that Daryl said was my sister. Her brown hair fell just past her shoulders, but her head was tilted down so it blocked most of her face from view.

I tried to relax, but I couldn't. I had no memory of her yet. I haven't had any more memory flashes since before my nightmare a couple weeks ago.

She brushed her hair behind her ear and finally met my panicked gaze. "Bethy…I'm so sorry."

 _Sorry? Did she do something to hurt me in some way?_ I tilted my head in confusion.

"It's just…Did Daryl tell you about the prison?" I nodded. He had told me bits and pieces. "Well, when it fell, I…" she inhaled deeply. "I just gave up. We had just lost daddy, and I…I couldn't give myself false hope that you made it too. So I gave up on you. I didn't believe that you made it. I mean, I couldn't believe you were alive out there on your own, scared and hungry. Lost. And I…I just looked for Glenn. I obsessed myself with looking for Glenn to cover the pain from losing daddy and being scared that you were all alone. You never had much experience fighting walkers before the prison fell, and I…I'm so, so sorry Bethy."

Tears streamed down her face, and finally for the first time in three weeks, I had a memory flash through my mind. Maggie and I were fighting, and I stormed out of what I assumed was our house. I remember being so mad at her, but couldn't remember why. And I remember coming back later that night to find Maggie waiting in my room for me, and she looked exactly as she did now. Just with shorter hair and not covered in dirt and blood. Tears were running down her face as she embraced me.

I shook myself free from the memory and hesitantly rested my hand on her knee. Her eyes shot up to mine, and I gave her a small smile.

"It…okay." I said in my broken voice.

"You…forgive me?" She asked hesitantly.

I nodded my head and smiled again. She breathed a sigh of relief and cried some more. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. I stiffened. I may have one memory with her, but I wasn't quite ready to be so close. She seemed to sense this and pulled away.

"I promise Beth," she smiled as she dropped her arms, "I'll never give up on you again." Then she got up and left me in the safety of my secluded corner.

~Bethyl~

Finally, after a long day of hunting, I had gathered three squirrels and one large buck. We would be eating good tonight.

I was anxious about Beth. I hadn't left her alone since I got her back, and I knew she wasn't quite comfortable with everyone else yet. But I trusted Rick and everyone with her. They would keep her safe. And we really needed some food.

I weaved my way around the pointed tree limbs we positioned around the front and sat on the porch to start skinning the animals for supper. The door opened and closed, followed by footsteps heading my way. I didn't glance up. I could tell by the weight of the footfalls that it was Rick.

"Nice job." He greeted as he sat down next to me on the stairs.

I nodded and continued my work.

He cleared his throat. "Maggie talked to Beth today."

My hands stilled, and I shot my eyes up. "Wha' happened?" I demanded.

"Don't worry. I think it went well." He started. "I almost stopped her from going, but it's her sister. So I waited and gave her a chance. She talked to her, then started crying. Beth stared off into space for a second, then put her hand on Maggie's knee and smiled. Maggie then hugged her and left."

"Sounds like all is forgiven." I grumbled.

Rick nodded his head, then rose to his feet. "I just wanted to let you know. She's gonna be okay, Daryl. Everything will get better."

I just grunted in reply and finished up getting the squirrels ready to be cooked.

When I walked inside, I was surprised. Beth wasn't in her corner, the place she refused to move from since we decided to stay here for a while. No, she was directly in the center of the room. Playing with Lil' Asskicker.

When her eyes met mine, her face visibly brightened. She flashed me a grin before focusing all her attention on the baby who was patting her crossed legs.

I made my way to Carl. "Wanna help with cooking t'night?"

He eagerly got up and followed me outside. He finally grew out of his rebellious stage from the prison and has been wanting to help contribute more to the group. I even got persuaded to teach him how to hunt and track. He was terrible at it. He stomped too loud and scared off all the game. But, he'll learn.

I stabbed a lone walker that made its way passed the barrier while Carl gathered the sticks we needed for the fire.

"Ya 'member how I taught ya to start a fire?" I asked.

"Yepp." He nodded then started rubbing the two sticks together just like I taught him last time.

Carl was quiet the whole time I was setting up the sticks to cook the meat. But I could tell he wanted to say something.

"Well?" I asked.

He looked at me, then back at the small fire. "How's Beth?" He met my gaze again. "Is she really going to get better?"

"She's good. Ya can talk to her, ya know? Just make sure t' give her space. She's still Beth." I told him.

"What if…What if she never remembers me?" He turned away from me. "When me and Dad were fighting in the prison, she'd always comfort me. She became my best friend. Kinda like the older sister I never had."

I looked at his crestfallen face. "That'll never happen." I shook my head. "Course she'll 'member ya. It will just take some time."

"Really?"

I nodded and his face brightened. "Let's get the food inside. Put the fire out so it doesn't attract any unwanted visitors."

Carl nodded his head looking much happier than a minute ago. Once he was finished, he scattered the remaining sticks and followed me inside.

~Bethyl~

I picked up Judith and held her close to me as I ate my food. After Maggie talked to me, I had seen little Judith fussing in Tyreese's arms and looking directly at me. After a second of hesitation, I slowly rose using the wall to keep me steady and stumbled my way over to them. As soon as she saw me sit down right in front of them, Judith had lunged into my stomach. And I had played with her since.

Being with her was comforting. She couldn't talk either, though she was only a baby. I was…I dunno. But obviously a lot older than her. She was smiley and seemed to enjoy being around me. Makes sense since Daryl said I was like her mother after she was born.

I finished the last bite of my food and helped Judith eat her baby food. There was plenty of that in one of the bags Rick carried around, so she would be good on food for about a week.

"She remembers you."

I looked to my left and saw a young boy with a brown hat on his head. His named didn't come to my mind, but I still smiled.

"I'm Carl. That's my baby sister." He stated.

I nodded. I could see the resemblance between the two of them. I almost told him my name, but then realized that was dumb. _Of course he knows who I am. He isn't the one who lost his memories._

I offered Judith to him, and he accepted her. "I got to name her. I named her after one of my old teachers."

I smiled, glad that he was treating me normal despite the fact that I can't keep a conversation going at the moment.

"Do you remember anyone here?" I nodded and pointed at Daryl, Maggie, and Judith. "Not me?" I frowned and shook my head no.

He looked down at Judith. I nudged his shoulder with mine. "Friends?" I pointed at him then me and titled my head.

He smiled. "You were my best friend. Back in the prison, I fought with my Dad a lot, and you would always come and talk to me. I always thought of you as my older sister."

"Sorry." I looked down.

"Hey, no worries. You'll get your memories back!" He assured me.

I nodded and smiled at him before looking across the room to Daryl. He was already looking at Carl and I with a satisfied look. He met my eyes, and I pointed to my corner. He got up and helped me make my way over there and get settled in for the night.

"Proud of ya, Beth." He whispered down to me. I looked up at him from my position on the ground. "Ya let Maggie talk t' ya, got reacquainted with Judith, and just now with Carl."

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders as if to say 'No big deal.' _These people are my family. I gotta let them in at some point._

Daryl settled in next to me and made sure the cover was securely wrapped around me before he closed his eyes. I turned and looked at him before I too closed my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

 **A/N** **: And there you have it! Did you guys like it? I wanted to focus this chapter mainly on Beth starting to open up to other people in the group. And no, they are not going to stay at the shack for a long time. This is just a short stop for everyone, mostly Beth, to get healed up and rested.**

 **If you liked it, drop me a review :) Hopefully the next chapter will be out before Walking Dead comes back on October 23! I'm super excited!**


End file.
